The Best Juice for Juicing Newbies

You have probably already heard about the juicing craze by now. I jumped on the bandwagon last year when I bought my very own at-home juicer. And I have not looked back since!

Juicing is a great way to get your fruits and vegetables into your diet. If you don't want to eat a huge salad for lunch, you can juice your food and get the nutrients that way. However, I do want to note that juicing should not be the only way that you consume your fruits and vegetables. Keep in mind that a juicer extracts the juice from the fruits and vegetables and leaves behind nutrient-rich skin and pulp, which contains fiber.

If you're new to juicing, don't fret! It may start out as a bit intimidating--all those green juices don't look too palatable. From my own experience, 100 percent green, veggie juices were not my favorite starting out. Sure, now I can drink a green juice in my sleep, but when I first started experimenting with my juicer, my taste buds were not acclimated to that flavor. So what did I do? I started with a handful of greens and added in lots of fruits and sweet vegetables.

Here's the best juice if you're a newbie:

Ingredients

1 large handful of spinach3 small apples (cored)2 large carrots1 grapefruit (peeled)1/2 cucumber

Instructions

Turn on your juicer and make sure you have your juice container under the nozzle. If you have a multi-speed juicer, make sure you adjust the speed according to the fruit/veggie you are juicing. (For instance, juicing spinach should be at a lower speed than juicing hard veggies like carrots.)

Add 1 large handful of spinachAdd 2 small apples, cored (save one for last)Add 2 large carrotsAdd 1 grapefruit, peeledAdd 1/2 cucumberAdd the last apple (since the apple is hard, it ensures that all the items have been fully moved through the juicer)

Place in the refrigerator to chill.

Please note that fresh juices only last a few hours in the refrigerator. I like to chill mine before I drink it because I typically keep my fruit out on the counter so it is not as cold as I would like it to be. That being said, it is up to you when you want to drink it. I love my juices first thing in the morning on an empty stomach, but that is just my personal preference. Whatever you do, please make sure that you do not give up. It took me a few tries to master that recipe. Some days I added too much apple and it was too sweet and other days I didn't add enough carrot and it was too bitter. Try it out and see what works for you! Happy juicing!

Nicole Kennedy is a healthy living blogger and publicist living in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Nicole's blog, Simply Nicole,
documents her daily life occurrences as she balances working full-time,
blogging, training for races, practicing yoga, eating healthy and
planning her wedding. You can connect with Nicole via Facebook and Twitter for real-time blog updates, tips and tricks to living a healthy lifestyle, and more!